An Enneagram Glossary - Heath Davis Havlick

[Pages:3]An Enneagram Glossary

The Enneagram is a rich and deep exploration of the motivations that underlie human behavior. Because of that, it comes with a lot of words and phrases that you may not be familiar with. This can cause some to lose heart and abandon this insightful model, but don't let that be you! These terms and this model are worth learning.

With that in mind, here's a glossary of common terms you are likely to hear in Enneagram circles.

Essence: also called the true self or authentic self. It's who you are under all the personality stuff.

Personality: Also called the ego structure by some, it's the set of patterns that your brain forms early on in your life and that you think is you but really isn't (see above). This set of patterns is based on the Enneagram personality type that you inherently have; you don't get to pick.

Wing: The personality type on either side of yours. So, if you're a Four, you can have a Three wing or a Five wing. It's rare to have both operating with equal influence, and it's alleged that some folks don't have a wing influencing them at all.

Integration point: The Enneagram personality type that you move toward when you are feeling safe and stable. Again, you don't get to pick; the lines that make up the Enneagram symbol show which two types you are connected to.

Disintegration point: The Enneagram personality type that you move toward when you are feeling insecure and unstable ? when things aren't going your way. This isn't a choice; it's what naturally happens when your type's usual coping skills don't work in a situation.

Awareness: Beginning to notice how you show up in the world. Recognizing your personality patterns. Riso & Hudson call it "Catching yourself in the act." You're not trying to change anything; you're just noticing. This leads to presence.

Presence: This is what we're working toward. It's actually inhabiting the moment you're living in. You are not stuck in the past or dreaming of the future. You are not reacting to life based on your personality's patterns. When you are present, you are most authentically alive.

These are the terms you'll hear often. There are a few more, though, that are really helpful as you continue on your journey.

Center of Intelligence: Humans rely on three different ways of receiving information from the world ? they take in this information through their "gut" (Instinctive Center, Types 8, 9 and 1), their heart (Heart Center, Types 2, 3 and 4) and their brain (Head Center, Types 5, 6 and 7). You'll hear people saying things like "I'm a Head Type" or "She's a Heart Type." They mean the person in question has an Enneagram type that lives in that particular Center. People have all three Centers available to them, but each type has a dominant center that it most often relies on.

Instinctual Variant: Humans have many instincts, but there are three that predominate: the self-preservation, sexual and social instincts. As with the Centers, people have all three, of course, but one is their default and the other two line up in what's called an "instinct stack." Your default or primary instinct creates the focus of attention for your life. For instance, if you're focused on self-preservation, you'll focus your attention on things that will keep you safe and alive, like having enough money, installing a security system in your house, stockpiling food, taking a lot of supplements, etc.

Level of Development: Don Richard Riso, co-founder of the Enneagram Institute, pioneered this framework of personality for the Enneagram. How emotionally healthy, aware and present a person is makes a huge difference in how their Enneagram type manifests. Riso noticed, for instance, that one Type Three can look very different from another Type Three depending on whether they are in the Healthy, Average or Unhealthy Levels of Development. To learn more about this fascinating and important framework, I recommend going straight to the source.

There are additional terms that you'll learn over time, but don't worry! They all make sense in context, and you don't have to know them to start benefiting from the wisdom of this profound system of personal transformation. Keep learning, keep growing and keep becoming your true self!

If you'd like a more comprehensive overview of Enneagram basics and recommended references, click here.

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download